Unthinkable
by shanpam13
Summary: Warning:OCs. Arthur resuces two girls from a ship, and gets a crush on one. Then Ludwig starts crushing on the same girl! Meanwhile, the other girl is unable to walk due to a serius injury. It boils down to who the first girl chooses. Read it!
1. Chapter 1

_(Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or anything else. This is purely for the entertainment of the fans. Enjoy!)_

Okay, now that that's over with, I want to dedicate this to my friend, Yukinataangel! She gave me the idea with her… well, her two favorite Hetalia are England and Germany. Now to the story!

The boat swayed gently on the ocean. It had been a calm day so far, but that was about to change as Arthur spotted another boat in the distance. His shipmates had already started preparing for an attack. He checked to make sure his revolver had all the bullets it could hold in it, along with testing the sharpness of his sword. The two boats were almost close enough for Arthur's crew to swing onto the other boat now.

"Get ready men. Something tells me this won't be easy." His crew nodded uneasily. The two ships touched.

Because they knew what they were doing, they didn't make any noise as the crew landed on the other ship. Guns and swords started clashing, and Arthur jumped and ducked to avoid them. He headed to where he knew the prisoners must be. He opened the hatch and jumped down.

The second he landed, he saw two tan girls who couldn't have been given much food by their looks. While one simply looked up, her dark eyes terrified, the second girl jumped up in front of her, her blue grey eyes promising violence if Arthur got any closer; her hands balling up into fists.

"I'm not going to hurt you. But you and your friend need to get out of here. I'm the captain of another ship, and this one is going to sink soon." Arthur held his hands in the air. The girl with blue eyes looked skeptical, but the girl behind her looked relieved. Without warning, the second girl ran up and grabbed Arthur's gun.

"Grab Daphne. Her legs were broken when they threw her down here. I'll shoot anyone who shoots at us." Shocked, Arthur quickly walked over to Daphne and picked her up. She looked down, her cheeks pink.

"Come on! We don't have time for introductions yet." Arthur followed the girl up the hatch, fighting his way through the fighting bodies. The girl started shooting people that threatened Daphne and Arthur. Soon, she ran out of bullets.

"Shit! Don't you have any more?" Arthur ducked, but a bullet landed in his shoulder. He held on to Daphne tighter. They were almost to the other ship when he noticed blood trickling down the girl's side. She jumped onto Arthur's ship, and he followed, setting Daphne down to safety. Daphne looked horrified.

"Sharon! Sharon, gun or sword?" Sharon's knees buckled under her, she fell to the ground next to Daphne. Arthur called for the doctor while more and more of his crew jumped back on his ship. Daphne grabbed Sharon's hand.

"Sword. They didn't hit my organs, but it's damn painful. If I don't bleed to death I'll be fine. Hey, Mr. Fancy pants, don't forget to have a doctor check on you too." Arthur nodded as the doctor, a man with dark eyes and black hair came to look at them.

"Kiku, thank you for coming. If you hadn't agreed to this, Sharon would die." Kiku nodded, wrapping cloth around Sharon's wound and lining up Daphne's bones and making a temporary splint.

"I'm taking them down to your quarters. If they're going to heal, they need to rest. Come with me so I can work on your bullet wound." Arthur nodded, picking up Daphne again as Kiku helped Sharon up. She winced with each step she took, her hand clutching Kiku's shoulder and where her wound was. Daphne looked anxiously at Sharon.

"She's really going to be fine?" Daphne whispered, worried. Kiku sighed.

"She's going to have a scar for the rest of her life, and she'll need stiches, but she'll be fine." He looked down angrily. "I don't understand why someone would hurt someone who wasn't attacking them." Sharon smiled.

"Because, he wanted something from me and never got it. He has his revenge now. I'll always remember him." She glared at the floor as Kiku opened the door to Arthur's quarters. Daphne looked at the door, remembering. Kiku tried to get Sharon onto the only bad, but she insisted that Daphne get it. Kiku sighed again, but didn't fight Sharon he helped her down onto the chair. He turned to Arthur.

Kiku began digging out the bullet. Arthur bit his tongue, refusing to curse in front of women even if they did. Finally, Kiku stitched it up and wrapped the wound in cloth. He turned to Sharon.

Without saying anything, she looked at Daphne.

"Give her a better split first." Arthur felt relieved, but her wasn't sure why. Maybe because she seemed much more innocent than a girl who would kill someone without thinking to get her friend out of a bad situation. He sighed, turning to look at the door while he heard Kiku argue with Sharon.

"You're going to bleed out! I need to get you stitched up!"

"I _will_ bleed out if we keep arguing! Just help Daphne, okay? It's not like I'm going anywhere." Daphne rolled her eyes.

"There's no point arguing with her Kiku. But please hurry. I don't like to see her in pain." It was obvious that they were very close. Kiku walked over to Daphne, grabbing four pieces of hard wood that would support anyone's weight on his way and worked quickly. Soon, he walked over to Sharon again.

Arthur walked over to Daphne, blocking her view of Sharon. Daphne was about to object, but Arthur cut in.

"If I know one thing, watching someone with a wound like that isn't good. Your face gives away how hurt they are, and they start to worry. It's better if you try to ignore it. Besides, to get to the wound, Kiku has to lift her shirt up enough to stitch it up." Daphne's eyes widened. "Don't worry, he still won't be able to see anything important." Arthur chuckled. Sharon sighed.

"Yeah Daphne, it's pretty gruesome. I'm sure you would throw up. It's not good… but it's not infected, right doc?"

"No, it's not." Even though Sharon didn't make any noise, she was holding on to Kiku's shoulder so tightly that the circulation could possibly stop soon. Arthur laughed.

"How's your arm Kiku?" He sighed.

"You're asking the wrong question." Kiku didn't say anything more than that. Daphne bit her lip.

"Arthur…someone called you that, right?" Arthur nodded. Daphne's voice dropped. "How bad is it? How much pain is she in?" Arthur just shook his head, taking Daphne's hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"She'll be fine. How long has your lag been broken?" Daphne frowned.

"Probably a month now. Sharon slept when I was awake, that way I hold it in place. She held it in place when I was a sleep. A man re-broke it five days ago, along with knocking Sharon unconscious by hitting her head. She'd never let anything happen otherwise…" Sharon sighed in relief, Kiku tying the stitches. He felt her head for any bruises on hearing Daphne's words.

"Honestly, you think I'd worry about a bruise after getting used as a target practice for a sword? I'm fine." Arthur stepped out of the way so Daphne could see that Sharon was okay. Her shirt was stained with blood, but her eyes were alight. She grabbed Kiku's shoulder, and he sighed in disapproval as he helped her up to Daphne. She grabbed Daphne's hand.

"I told you I'd get us out of there, didn't I?" Daphne smiled, nodding. Tears streamed down both of their cheeks. Arthur and Kiku looked at each other, wondering how badly the girls had been treated.

"Daphne, would you please make room for Sharon? She won't heal correctly sitting on a chair." Arthur and Daphne laughed as Sharon glared at Kiku but got onto the bed with Daphne.

After finding out that Daphne had a fever, Kiku worked on getting that down, changing a clean cold rag every few minutes. Sharon held Daphne's hand the entire time, willing her to get well. To distract her, Sharon teased her.

"I'm pretty sure Arthur likes you."

"He does not!"

"You know I can tell these things. He held your hand and blocked your view of me. He checks on you numerous times a day. He carried you out of a ship!" Daphne blushed.

"He only did that because you stole his gun." Sharon rolled her eyes.

"He ducked so his shoulder would catch the bullet instead of you! What do you call that? Common courtesy? He likes you." Slowly but surely, Daphne got better. Soon, she was completely healed.

"Come on! You're letting Daphne get up and walk!" Daphne stuck her tongue out from across the room.

"Her legs have fully recovered. She doesn't have a fever. But you wound is far from healed. Just stay down for now, okay?" Kiku stared Sharon down. Finally, she sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But no more of that…gel. Every time you put it on, I end up sleeping." Kiku shook his head.

"It's a pain killer and fights infection. You could die if I didn't use it." Daphne nodded in agreement and left the room for the first time since she had been brought there.

And ran right into Arthur. He caught her elbows so she wouldn't fall.

"Sorry…" She muttered, fiercely hoping she wasn't blushing.

"It's fine." Arthur's cheeks looked a bit pink. He changed the subject. "How's Kiku doing with Sharon? I hear them argue every time about her getting up." He chuckled. "It looks like Kiku's finally met his match." Daphne laughed, nodding.

"So far though, she's been going easy on him. She knows he wouldn't push her back down if she got up. I think she might crack soon. Are we close to land?" Arthur smiled, his eyes alight.

"We should be back in a day's time." Daphne grinned, the reality of seeing her family again making her smile. Without thinking, she threw her arms around England, hugging him.

"Thank you so much for coming for us that day! And for bring us back as guests instead of prisoners. For everything. I'm just so glad I'm going home." Arthur wrapped his arms around Daphne, hugging her back. Daphne blushed.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. Thank Kiku too. We'd all be dead if it wasn't for him." Daphne nodded, quickly walking back into the room where Sharon was stuck. Arthur followed.

When they walked in, Sharon was crossing her arms and glaring sleepily as Kiku rubbed a yellow gel over her wound. It was still red, but I wasn't bleeding anymore. In a few days, Kiku would be able to take out the stitches. Daphne looked relieved and sat down next to Kiku, grabbing Sharon's hand closest to her. Sharon looked at her.

"Can you make him stop? I'm…tired." Sharon blinked, then closed her eyes. "I'm gonna get you back somehow Kiku…" Daphne laughed as Sharon fell asleep. Kiku sighed. Daphne laughed again.

"She really doesn't care if she gets hurt if it means more freedoms. You're handling it well Kiku." He shook his head.

"I've never met anyone so stubborn." He got up and left, stepping around Arthur on his way out. Daphne laughed, fixing Sharon's shirt. She looked back at Arthur, who was hesitating at the door. Daphne smiled.

"You can stay if you want. I know we're taking over the captain's quarters." Arthur laughed.

"I don't mind. I'm glad you two are healing up. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask for it."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." Arthur nodded, looking down. Blushing. Daphne bit her lip, considering what Sharon had said. She hadn't been wrong before…

Arthur looked up at Daphne, smiling.

"I really should go back up though. There's always something that needs doing. You know you're free to go anywhere on the ship you'd like." England nodded to her once, turning around and leaving the room. Daphne stroked Sharon's hair, remembering how they got captured.

It had been storming, but it was quiet now. Daphne and Sharon were walking along the shore line, collecting shells to make a necklace for Sharon's little sister. Her birthday would be coming up soon, and Daphne had agreed to help. Because of the fog, they hadn't seen the ship until it was too late.

Sharon pulled out a small dagger, one she wasn't supposed to be carrying.

"Daphne, run!" Sharon threw it at the heart of a man that was about to grab Daphne. Daphne shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you!" Before Sharon had time to reply, two men grabbed Daphne's and Sharon's mouths, holding both of their hands behind their backs. The man behind Daphne leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Your friend has some guts, killing one of my men. Now you'll both die." He laughed then, but stopped after Sharon bit down on the hand hold her mouth that it started bleeding. He yanked it away, but punched her in her left eye with his good hand. Sharon grabbed her dagger out of the man she killed, jamming into the arm of the captain who was holding Daphne. Three men grabbed her mouth, hands and waist.

The captain let Daphne go, ripping the dagger out of his arm. Before she could run, another man grabbed Daphne.

"I changed my mind, girls. The one who stabbed me have a special death. This one however" He put his good hand on Daphne's shoulder. "Will come back here to tell her family _exactly_ what happened.

Suddenly, Sharon grabbed Daphne's shoulder. Daphne yelped, coming out of the flashback.

"Try not to think about that Daphne. And don't tell me you weren't, I saw it in your eyes. I know it's hard, but try."

"I'll try." Daphne breathed. She knew they both had nightmares about it every night. Daphne and Sharon looked up as they saw Arthur and Kiku walk into the room. They both looked worse than angry. They looked like they would kill whoever had done that to the girls happily. Daphne looked down, tears rolling down her cheeks. Sharon balled her hand that Daphne wasn't holding into a fist, looking at the ceiling.

"I suppose you two are curious about what happened to us. I'll tell you if you want to know. I think I need to let it out anyway." Daphne whispered. Arthur and Kiku shook their heads.

"You don't have to tell us. It doesn't matter if we know or not." Kiku nodded in agreement. Sharon sighed, patting Daphne's hand. She cleared her throat, not sure if Daphne could get through it.

"We were captured on a beach. I killed one man who was trying to get Daphne, bit the hand of the person covering my mouth so hard it bled, then stabbed the captain's arm, who was holding Daphne. They still got us, and threw us in the place where you found us Arthur. They gave us food every other day. One man tried to…have his way with us, but I got him to go away." Daphne took a deep breath, shivering. Sharon looked at Daphne. "We're not there anymore. It's fine. And I'm sorry. I lied to you. They were going to kill me the day Arthur found us. I didn't want you to worry, but…I didn't know what else to do. I'm so sorry." For the first time that Arthur'd seen Daphne, she looked mad.

"You didn't tell me you were going to be _tortured to death that day!_"

"What was the point to it? I couldn't do anything about it. I'm sorry." Sharon looked down as Daphne's eyes softened. They hadn't noticed that Arthur was holding Kiku's right wrist down so that he wouldn't pull out his katana and break something. His usually unemotional eyes were murderously angry now. Arthur wasn't as upset, but he still felt like punching something. Daphne sighed.

"It's fine I guess. But I wish you would have told me. Focus on healing now, okay?" Sharon nodded, then pointed to Arthur and Kiku. Daphne's eyes widened.

"Calm down! Like Sharon said, we're safe now! There's no point in focusing on the past!" Arthur and Kiku took a deep breath. Arthur let go of Kiku's wrist. Sharon chuckled.

"You two forget, I did draw first blood." Daphne rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. But Kiku was feeling talkative too.

"You only did that because you knew what was going to happen. They had no right to do anything either of you." Arthur nodded in agreement. Daphne sighed.

"Can we put this in the past please? This isn't helping anything." Slowly, Arthur and Kiku nodded. Kiku turned around and left the room without anther word. Arthur sighed and walked over to sit next to Daphne. He pulled a bracelet out of his front pocket. Daphne's eye widened.

"One of my men found this when they were on the other boat. I was wondering if it belonged to you." Daphne nodded, hugging Arthur.

"I thought I would never see it again! Thank you so much! It was a birthday present from my family." Sharon smiled, glad that Daphne had it back. Arthur laughed quietly, hugging Daphne back.

"Arthur, I heard something about being home tomorrow?" Sharon laughed as both Daphne and Arthur seemed to realize she existed again. They let go of each other, blushing.

"Yes, if there aren't any storms we should be on land tomorrow." Arthur got up quickly, walking out of the room. Daphne looked at Sharon.

"I told you he likes you! If I was allowed to get up, I'd be dancing with you right now!"

"Shut up…" Sharon laughed even louder as Daphne turned red. Being merciful, Sharon decided to change the subject.

"Can you do me a favor, Daphne?" Grateful, Daphne nodded. "Can you get Kiku down here? I think he needs to calm down." Daphne nodded, getting up and walking out of the room. She walked a little farther before she saw who she needed to see.

"Kiku, will you please go and see Sharon?" He looked up at her, his eyes anxious.

"Is everything alright?" Daphne nodded.

"Yes, she just wants to see you. Can you do that?" He nodded, walking towards the room. He frowned as he opened the door wondering why she'd want to see him.

"Hello Kiku. Are you alright?" He nodded, confused.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sharon bit her lip.

"Well you looked pretty angry before. And I was wondering if I could get out of this bed for just a minute? I'm pretty sure I'm going to do something drastic if I don't." He sighed, but nodded. Sharon's eyes lit up.

"Really? Thank you!" She started to get up on her own, but Kiku shook his head.

"What?" Sharon looked more than slightly annoyed. Kiku chuckled.

"You're still injured." He carefully wrapped his arm around Sharon's waist and helped her up. She winced.

"Are you alright? Maybe you shouldn't be walking…" Sharon sighed.

"It's going to hurt for a while. I just don't want to lie there all day. You don't know how good it feels to be on your feet after so long." Their heads turned to face the door as Daphne walked in.

"Oh, you're letting her stand? That's good. I think she'll drive me insane if she keeps complaining about not being allowed to walk." Daphne laughed as Sharon rolled her eyes. Even Kiku smiled.

"I'm not going to let you out of the room yet, walking still isn't a good idea." Sharon sighed, but didn't argue. Daphne frowned as she winced with every step, but she still looked happy. After walking around the room, Kiku made her sit back down.

"Back to the bad of immobilization." Sharon muttered. Daphne laughed, walking over to pat her forehead. Kiku walked towards the door.

"Thanks Kiku. A lot." He paused.

"You're welcome." He walked out of the room.

"I think he-"

"Don't even say it Daphne. I told you, I see those things. Did you talk to Arthur when you were out there?" She paused, debating on whether to tell Sharon.

"No, but I met a man called Ludwig. He looked pretty stern, but he has a soft side. He seemed like he really cared about what happened. He was pretty angry when I told him, and we just met." Sharon started laughing. Daphne blushed.

"What?"

"Oh, I think you know! Wow, you crush quickly, don't you?" Daphne's blush got deeper.

"Is it that obvious?" Sharon nodded, still giggling. Then she stopped, dead serious.

"It means you'll have to make a choice soon. On something I honestly can't help you with." Sharon stared at Daphne long enough to let her understand she was entirely serious. Daphne bit her lip.


	2. Chapter 2

_(Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or anything else!) _

Okay, I'm starting to get obsessed with this. Two chapters in two days? That's crazy for me. I'm dedicating this part to Yukinataangel (again) because of her patients with reading this stuff before I edit it and put it up on here! And thanks for commenting Yuki!

The sun was shining, and everyone seemed happy about going home. There was still no way Kiku was going to let Sharon walk so, despite her best arguments, he carried her up to the top of the ship while Daphne tried not to laugh ridiculously loud, Arthur chuckling behind her. Even Ludwig, who had started talking with Daphne more that day, would crack a smile at Sharon, fuming and embarrassed.

"I don't think she'll ever forgive him for this." Ludwig whispered, chuckling. Arthur nodded in agreement, though he looked slightly upset by Ludwig's presence.

"She'll forgive him, but she's probably going to give him the silent treatment for the next few days." She giggled.

And it did look that way as she crossed her arms, head down, and dark blonde hair covering her face. Daphne laughed again.

Arthur, Ludwig, and Daphne followed Kiku and Sharon off the boat onto dry land. Everyone sighed in relief; it had been too long.

"Can you set me down _now?_" Sharon tried to ignore the laughs she heard from behind her. Kiku frowned, looking for a place that would be safe to set Sharon down. Finally, he spotted a tree trunk away from the beach, but still in sight. Wordlessly he walked over to it and gently set her down. Daphne walked up to her and took her hand.

"You look so adorable when you're blushing and angry at the same time!" Sharon sighed, glad that Ludwig and Arthur had started helping unpack the ship instead of follow Daphne.

"Stop it! What if someone overheard you? Besides, I can walk if you help me! I don't need to be carried." Daphne smiled at her.

"You insisted that Arthur carried me on our way to his ship." Daphne laughed as Sharon rolled her eyes.

"That was completely different. People were shooting guns and waving swards around! It's not like I need to by quick and agile now." Daphne sighed.

"I know you're mad about this now, but cut him some slack. He didn't want to see you in pain. I don't think I would have made it to see you wincing the whole time you're walking and then collapsing on the ground. Face it, whether you like it or not, you really shouldn't be walking right now." Daphne laughed again when she saw Sharon knew she was right. Her face looked totally helpless.

"Fine. At least mom won't freak out if she sees a random guy carry me home. She and Lily will just be happy to see me." Daphne smiled, taking both of Sharon's hands.

"To think you might not be coming home right now. I'm so glad we're both safe." Sharon nodded, closing her eyes.

"So close…but we're going home now. You think I can make it there before I collapse? It's only about a mile from here…"

"No way Sharon! Kiku's carrying you and that's final. But I'll come with you okay? I'm technically still supposed to be staying with your family, right? It's been about two months…yep. You still have a couple weeks as my roommate!" Sharon laughed as Ludwig walked over to make sure everything was okay.

"This could take a while, I thought you two would like some lunch." He handed them food leftover from dinner.

"Thanks Ludwig! I really was starting to get hungry. Aren't you eating?" Daphne looked at him, eyes full of concern.

"I'll eat later. But make sure to get your fill, okay?" Daphne and Sharon nodded, watching Ludwig turn around and walk away.

"He likes you! He really does! Did you see his face? He was still stern, but I think he blushed a little! How _adorable_!" Sharon snickered as Daphne blushed too, looking down.

"Yes, I saw his face! Now be quiet! And please, don't use the same word like that! It's not fair!"

"Well, you started it. But I'll stop for now, okay?" Daphne nodded and they began to eat their food.

After hours of talking, eating, and just sitting in companionable silence, watching the crew unpacking the ship; Ludwig, Arthur, and Kiku walked over to Daphne and Sharon. Daphne laughed as Sharon looked down and crossed her arms again, seething. Ludwig and Arthur bit back laughs.

"Good luck Kiku." Arthur whispered, not able to hold back a chuckle. Kiku didn't say anything.

"Do you mind if we take you home?" Ludwig waited for Daphne to reply. She nodded, taking two steps away from Sharon; Kiku picked her up. She bent her head down again, still upset. And pretended not to hear Daphne giggle.

Daphne led them to Sharon's house, picking up the pace as they got closer. When they were in sight of the house Sharon looked up, tears in her eyes.

"We're back Daphne. We're really back. Kiku, please set me down now. I can walk into the house." He did, and Daphne wrapped her arm around Sharon's waist, pulling her other arm onto her shoulder.

They quickly walked to the door, the three guys not sure if they should stay or leave. Rolling their eyes, Daphne and Sharon gestured for them to follow.

They knocked on the door, and Sharon's mother answered.

"Sharon! Daphne! I'm so glad you're safe! What happened?" Before thinking about it, Sharon's mother threw her arms around them both, sobbing. Sharon put on a brave face, stroking her mother's hair and successfully trying not to stagger.

"Mrs. Jones! I'm glad to see you too, but Sharon's injured." Instantly, Mrs. Jones looked at Ludwig, Arthur, and Kiku accusingly.

"Mom, they saved us! I'll tell you what happened when we get inside. Where's Lily?" Mrs. Jones smiled, grabbing Daphne and Sharon's hands, then gesturing for the rest of them to come in.

"Lily! Daphne and Sharon have made it back home safely!" A small girl with long brown hair came running, tears rolling down her cheek.

"Lily!" Sharon let go of Daphne, getting down on her knees to hug Lily. Tears streamed down her face. After a few more hugs and thanks, they gathered into the main room to explain. Sharon looked at Daphne, looking nervous. She nodded in encouragement.

"We were on the beach when a group of pirates captured us. They kept us for a while, but Arthur and his crew rescued us. The only bad things that happened were Daphne broke her leg and I got accidentally got wounded on the way onto Arthur's ship." Lily's eyes widened.

"Don't worry! It doesn't hurt at all." The rest of the people in the room frowned at the lie, but Sharon pretended not to notice. "But it looks a lot worse than it feels, okay? I'll show you tonight. Okay Lily?" She nodded, pulling on Sharon's arm to show her the birthday present she got. Daphne frowned, helping her up and walking her over to the bedroom. Arthur, Ludwig, and Kiku turned and told Mrs. Jones the more realistic version of what happened.

"Mrs. Jones, Sharon really shouldn't be walking for at least another day. And in a few days, I'll need to come back and take her stitches out."

"She'll be fine though, right?" The three of them nodded. Her eyes turned grateful.

"Thank you for saving them. So much. My husband left me, and Daphne comes by so often it's like she's my daughter. They're all I have left. Thank you for bringing them back to safety. If there's anything any of you ever need, please come by and tell me. I owe you my daughter's life." They blinked, surprised by the speech.

"You're welcome… and thank you for the offer." Arthur murmured, not sure what else to say. "Mrs. Jones, please excuse my haste, but I must finish my works so I can get home to my little brother." She smiled, getting up.

"I'm sure you all have very important thing to do. But please visit as often as you can. It's been a while since anyone besides Lily and I have set foot in this house." She shook all of their hands.

"Daphne! Sharon! Your friends are leaving for now, why don't you say goodbye?" In a moment, Daphne, Sharon, and Lily came into sight. Lily bounded a head of them, hugging Arthur, Ludwig, and Kiku.

"Thank you for bringing Sha-Sha home." She whispered to them. Finally, she bounded back to Sharon's side. Daphne looked at Arthur and Ludwig.

"I assume I'll see you three some other time?" They nodded.

"I'll visit soon." Ludwig said, nodding at her. Arthur glanced at Ludwig, then looked at Daphne.

"As will I. Take care." Sharon sighed, looking up at the three of them.

"Thanks guys. I wouldn't be here without you. I'll see you soon." Kiku sighed.

"Try not to move around for another day or two, alright?" He looked like he knew she wasn't going to comply. Before Sharon could reply though, Mrs. Jones did.

"I promise you Kiku, she will. Goodbye now! Drop by any time!" They nodded, walking out the door. Then there was a knock. Kiku had turned around, and was holding the jar with the gel to put on Sharon.

"I'm sorry, I almost forgot, but rub this on her wound once in the morning and night. It's a painkiller and fights infection." He handed it to Mrs. Jones.

"Thank you. Does it work for any cut?" He shook his head.

"It's too powerful for children, and it's best only to use it for severe wounds. The only side effect is it makes the patient fall asleep for a short while." Mrs. Jones nodded, and Kiku left. Daphne looked at Mrs. Jones.

"Mrs. Jones, may I please do it every day? I've seen Kiku do it numerous times, so I know how much to use and how to store it…" She nodded, and Lily frowned.

"What does 'severe' mean?" She looked at Daphne.

"It means…"

"It means it was pretty bad, but it's getting better." Daphne looked at Mrs. Jones in relief.

"Sharon, I think he's right. You need to rest." Sharon's eyes widened.

"The entire time I was in that ship, I was in bed! Please don't make me do this." She shook her head.

"Honey, you need to heal. And you _both_ need to change clothes. Didn't they have anything that you two could borrow?"

"Mom, the whole crew just happened to be guys. We wouldn't fit into anything they had. Better dress in something that fit than something that was falling off our shoulders." Daphne nodded in agreement. They walked to go get changed into a fresh pair of clothes. After Mrs. Jones had got Sharon in bed, Daphne decided to go see Ludwig and Arthur. She promised to tell Kiku that Sharon said hello, even though she begged her not to. She began walking towards the ship.

When she got there, she was surprised to actually see everyone still there. Ludwig was bringing a large crate out of the ship, but when he saw Daphne, he set it down and walked over to her.

"Hi Ludwig. I just came to check up on things. Are you alright?" She frowned, putting a hand on his shoulder, which was bleeding. He looked at it; he seemed surprised, like he never remembered getting hurt.

"I'm fine. I guess a crate got me at some point. I'll get it taken care of later." Daphne quickly pulled out some spare cloth she had with her and wrapped it around Ludwig's arm, tying it just tight enough.

"Thank you." He muttered, looking out to sea. Just the slightest bit pink in the cheeks. Daphne looked down, trying not to blush herself.

"I suppose I should let you get back to work then. Do you happen to know where Arthur and Kiku are?" He nodded, looking…a little sad.

"Yes, Arthur and Kiku are talking in the captain's quarters. I'm not sure what they're talking about…"

"Thank you Ludwig. I'll see you around?" He nodded, giving her a tiny smile. She smiled back, walking into the ship and knocking on the captain's door.

"Come in!" Arthur sounded like he had been upset before Daphne had knocked on the door. She opened it, smiling at Arthur and Kiku.

"Hello Arthur, Kiku. I just wanted to come and see if everything's okay." She looked at them skeptically. Arthur smiled at her.

"Everything's fine. The ship's almost completely unloaded; Kiku and I are just debating an issue." Kiku shook his head.

"Actually I was just leaving. I'm going to talk to Ludwig." Arthur frowned.

"You two are going to get yourselves killed!" Arthur snapped, glaring at Kiku as he walked out of the door. Daphne sighed.

"What's going on Arthur?" He looked down.

"We noticed the captain of the other ship hadn't been killed when we left. They want to go and try to finish what they start. Well, technically Kiku hadn't step foot on the other ship, but you get the idea. But attacking again would be suicide. I say we need to give it a rest, but they're not listening." Daphne frowned; of course she didn't want them to get hurt, but it didn't make sense that Ludwig, who had met her only a day before, was more upset that Arthur. Her frown deepened.

"Well Arthur, I should probably be going back home now. I'll see you later." She turned around and walked until she was out of the ship.

Then she saw Ludwig and Kiku talking quietly at the tree trunk Daphne had sat next to all day. She paused, not sure if she should tell them not to go. She sighed, walking up to them.

"Ludwig, Arthur said something about you and Kiku attacking the ship that Sharon and I were in. Is it true?" He looked at Kiku for a second, then nodded.

"It was wrong, what they did to you. And they need to pay for it." Kiku nodded.

"You two would need a crew, and you could get hurt, or captured! Please don't do this. I don't want to lose my friends. Please stay. Kiku, I'm sure Sharon would agree with me. Didn't you two promise to put it in the past?" They sighed, looking down. Ludwig took a step towards Daphne.

"Do you really want me to stay?" She nodded, surprised by the intensity of his eyes. He sighed.

"Then I'll stay." Daphne's heart began pounding, and she tried to calm down.

"Thank you." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he put his on top of hers she smiled, blushing a little bit. Kiku walked away quietly, letting them have that moment alone. Ludwig smiled at Daphne.

"You're welcome." He whispered, eyes becoming the softest Daphne had ever seen them. She started blushing.

"I see Arthur gave you the bracelet. I'm glad you got it back." Daphne's mouth dropped open, and remembered that Arthur had said one of his men had found it…

"You picked it up?" He nodded, and she hugged him, laughing.

"It was a birthday present from my family! I'm so glad you found it for me! Thank you! So much!" He laughed, hugging her back.

"I'm glad it makes you so happy." Blushing, Daphne took a step back. Ludwig smiled.

"I should help finish unpacking. We'll see each other soon." He turned around and walked back to the ship while Daphne tried to calm down enough so the blush would leave her cheeks. Carefully, she walked back to Sharon's house.

"Why Daphne! You're cheeks are so red! What happened?" Sharon laughed from the bedroom.

"Nothing bad." Mrs. Jones smiled.

"I remember how it felt to be in love. Even though Robert's gone, he gave me two beautiful daughters. And then my eldest gave a wonderful girl who might as well be. Don't be afraid of love dear, embrace it. Do you mind if I ask who it is?" Daphne's face turned even redder.

"Mrs. Jones!...The man who made me blush so much today was Ludwig." Daphne looked down, biting her lip.

"Is there another?" Sharon hadn't gotten her perceptiveness from her father. Daphne nodded.

"Arthur-"

"So that's why they don't get along! They've both fallen for you. Would you like some advice Daphne?" She looked up at Mrs. Jones, nodding.

"There will always be others, but if you choose one of them, make sure you know both of them better than you know yourself. Choose the man who you want to be with the most. Because if you get pressured into someone you're not truly in love with, you don't get a second chance." Mrs. Jones' eyes shined with meaning. She spoke through experience. Daphne walked over and gave her a hug.

"I'll be careful Mrs. Jones. I'm going to check on Sharon, okay?" Mrs. Jones nodded, smiling.

"She's going to ask for every detail. But remember, you don't have to tell her if you don't want to." Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Yes I do, and you know it. Wish me luck!" Mrs. Jones laughed as Daphne walked into the bedroom. Lily was sitting on the foot of Sharon's bed, talking about everything she'd missed. When Sharon saw Daphne though, she nudged Lily's foot with her own.

"We have plenty of time to talk about this Lily; I promise you I'm not going anywhere. Can you let Daphne and I be alone for a moment?" Lily rolled her eyes, but bounded out of the room. Sharon grinned at Daphne.

"You know what coming. Sit down and get comfy, tell me everything that happened! You said Ludwig?..." Daphne blushed.

"I went to see them, but I ran into Ludwig before anyone else. His arm was cut, so I helped him out with that…Then I asked him where Arthur and Kiku were-"

"Did he look sad or upset? Troubled?" Sharon laughed as Daphne blushed again.

"Yes, he did. But he told me where they were anyway. When I got to Arthur's quarters, he was arguing with Kiku about him and Ludwig going to attack the other ship again. Then-"

"You convinced him not right? Because that's one of the most dangerous and stupid ideas I've ever heard anyone consider." Daphne paused, looking at Sharon.

"Will you let me finish now?" Sharon nodded, begging Daphne with her eyes to continue.

"When I got out, I saw Ludwig and Kiku talking about it. I asked them not to, and reminded them of the promise to leave it in the past. Ludwig said he would…"

"And?" Daphne blushed.

"I thanked him and put my hand on his shoulder and we stood like that for a second. I think that's when Kiku left too. Anyway, then he said that he saw I got the bracelet back and it turns out the man who found it was him, and we hugged…" Daphne looked down, biting her lip. "And then I came back here."

Sharon smiled, laughing and sitting up to hug Daphne despite the pain.

"I'm so happy you're finally finding someone who makes you blush like that. He seems like a good guy too. I was getting worried there for a second. It seems like you won't be alone now." Sharon's eyes softened, turned joyful. Daphne laughed.

"You sound like a big sister. But yeah, I'm glad too. And you probably won't be alone either. I see the way Kiku looks at you. And the way you look at him sometimes." Sharon blushed, rolling her eyes and laying back down.

"But we're not talking about me right now. I've always felt guilty about you having to come here all of the time, surrounded by the forest and no other people around. I felt like I was keeping you from life. And it's really good to know that I'm not." Sharon took Daphne's hand.

"You have to remember though, if I wasn't here, I'd have nowhere to go when my dad traveled. You aren't keeping me from anything. I think dinner's ready, I'll bring you some, okay?" Sharon sighed.

"I didn't think there could be two beds of immobilization. But thanks."

That night Daphne's dream wasn't the same as usual. Instead of watching Sharon get killed in numerous ways by the captain, she was back home. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Ludwig and Arthur coming towards her. She couldn't move, but when she tried they both walked quicker. She frowned, thinking about how awkward it would be if they were both talking to her at the same time.

Arthur stopped.

Her heart pounded, not sure what he'd think if he saw her talking to Ludwig.

Ludwig stopped.

She frowned, knowing that she'd have to choose eventually.

"I… I don't know! I barely know either of them. Give me some time!" The image shifted, and she was back on the ship with Sharon standing protectively in front of her. The captain gestured for her to walk forward. She shook her head, balling her hands into fists.

"Sharon!" Daphne wanted to move, but she realized two men were holding her back, not letting her help Sharon. The captain took a step towards them, drawing his sword.

There was a bang, and Ludwig and Arthur were working together for once. The rest of the crew filed in, and Ludwig shot the two men holding Daphne. Sharon turned around and grabbed her, and together they jumped onto Arthur's ship.

Daphne gasped, looking at the familiar room around her. She looked at the beds, making sure Lily, Mrs. Jones, and Sharon were still there. They were. Daphne sighed in relief, which made Sharon wake up. She looked around, a wild look in her eyes. She relaxed when she saw Daphne looking at her.

"Let's go back to sleep Daphne. I don't want to wake Mom or Lily up." Daphne nodded in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

_(Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or anything else!)_ Okay, I'm glad that's off my chest. Thanks to all the people who have read (or accidentally clicked) this! Make sure to comment! I take all criticism. I want to dedicate this chapter to Yukinataangel (for the third time) because of her patients for reading the crappy unedited version of this before I fix it up! Luv you girl!

The morning started out with chores, as usual. While Sharon sulked in bed, Daphne was helping Mrs. Jones with cleaning the house.

"You seem shaken dear. Did you have a nightmare?" Daphne shook her head.

"Not really. The dream was more of a realization for me. I think Sharon and I are finally starting to recover." Mrs. Jones paused, stroking Daphne's cheek.

"It's good to hear that honey. You were very brave, not leaving Sharon. It's selfish to say, but I'm glad you didn't. I'm not sure how she would have fared alone. She doesn't have the best self-control, and I think her mouth would've gotten her killed if she didn't have anyone that needed her to be quiet. Thank you." Mrs. Jones hugged Daphne, and Daphne hugged her back.

"I wouldn't have left her if they tried to make me. And if I hadn't gone with her, I wouldn't have met Ludwig and Arthur. In any case, it's all over now." Mrs. Jones nodded, and they both got back to taking care of their chores. Soon, Lily came in from tending the garden.

"Mommy! I brought a flower to cheer Sharon up! When is she allowed out of bed?" Lily pouted, obviously unhappy that her sister couldn't do the things she did before she got captured. Daphne and Mrs. Jones chuckled.

"When Kiku comes to take out her stiches, she can get out. But the flower's a good idea. Why don't you put it by her bed in that lovely vase you made?" Lily's eyes sparkled and she ran into the bedroom, and Daphne smiled.

"She's so happy all of the time. I'm glad she has so much joy in her life. Every day you two were gone, she'd pat my hand and say they were just taking a break, and you girls would come home any day now." Mrs. Jones sighed. "I'm glad you did." Daphne nodded, patting Mrs. Jones' hand.

"I'm going to see if Lily missed anything; I'll be back in a few minutes." She turned around and walked out of the door.

Outside, she noticed someone looking at her through the trees. He stepped forward, and her worst fears came true.

The captain of the other ship smiled at her, holding a sword. He looked pretty beat up, and she noticed the rest of the crew wasn't with him. She froze.

"Ah, hello Daphne. It's good to see you again. I'm assuming Sharon's inside. It's too bad you and her family are home; three more people to kill. And I do hate going back on my word, but what can one do?" Daphne nodded, backing up to the door. If she could reach the handle in time, she could get inside. To safety. She could help Sharon out of bed and Sharon would kill him. Easy as that.

If she could get inside before the captain got closer. He smiled, taking a step towards Daphne.

Out of nowhere, Ludwig ran in front of her, holding a gun. Daphne gasped.

"If I let you go, you'll try to kill them again." The captain's eyes widened as a bullet landed in his head; he fell down, dead. Ludwig put his away, turning to face Daphne.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that. Are you okay?" She nodded, throwing her arms around Ludwig, sobbing.

"Thank you. That was so close." He hugged her back, stroking her hair with one hand.

"It's all over now. I'm so sorry." The door swung open, And Mrs. Jones looked around wildly.

"What happened?" Ludwig sighed, explaining everything. Daphne calmed down, and they all went inside.

"Is Daphne okay?" Sharon and Lily yelled in unison. Mrs. Jones, Ludwig and Daphne went into the bedroom, explaining again. Sharon looked at Ludwig.

"I owe you then. Daphne, come here." Like she had in the ship, Daphne walked over to Sharon and huddled, relying on her to hold up. Ludwig watched from the door. Sharon whispered a song she had written that always calmed Daphne and Lily down. Hearing it, Lily climbed over both of them to rest on Sharon's other side. Mrs. Jones motioned for Ludwig to follow her out of the room.

"She was always the rock of the family. When her father left, a part of me did too. She cooked and cleaned, and I just stayed in bed. Around that time was when she learned how to protect us. I'm still her mother, but can you understand why she's who she is now?" Ludwig nodded. "And thank you for saving Daphne again. As I said, she's like a daughter to me." Ludwig nodded again. Daphne and Lily came out of the room, calmed down. Wordlessly this time, Lily hugged Ludwig. When she stepped back, Daphne took her place.

"Thank you." He nodded again, stroking her hair. Mrs. Jones brought Lily out of the room with her. Ludwig put his hand under Daphne's chin, bringing her face up to look at him.

"You don't have anything to fear now. I promise you will be safe for the rest of your life." Daphne nodded, giving him a small smile. She blushed a little bit, and Ludwig chuckled. He leaned down and quickly kissed her, then turned around and left. Daphne blushed like there was no tomorrow. She walked into the bedroom, all fear forgotten.

"What happened? Daphne, you have to tell me. Lily, can you…?" She rolled her eyes, but walked out of the room.

"He…he kissed me!" Daphne whispered, blushing even harder and smiling a little. Sharon and Mrs. Jones had a little screaming /giggling fest, but calmed down after Daphne asked them for the tenth time.

"Oh my gosh! That's so amazing Daphne! I'm so happy for you!" Mrs. Jones nodded in agreement, giggling.

"Daphne, my dear, we have to celebrate tonight. I'm going to make cake! Oh, there's so much to do, I need to get started! I'll see you girls later!" She quickly left the room, leaving Sharon alone to drill Daphne.

"How long did he kiss you?" Daphne looked down, blushing again. She bit her lip.

"Not very long. Maybe a second or so?" Sharon giggled.

"I'm assuming there wasn't any tongue?" Daphne looked up at Sharon, gasping.

"Of course not!" She was turning redder with every question. Sharon smiled.

"Good. I don't think it's the best idea in the world. Did he blush?" Daphne shook her head.

"He was pretty calm actually. He smiled at me though…" Sharon laughed.

"So he did it to get your mind off bad things, eh? Well, I don't blame him. And I bet he was blushing when he turned around!" Daphne giggled, looking down.

"Why is it such a big deal?" Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Because! It's your first kiss! That's like asking why children are important!" Daphne laughed. Suddenly, Sharon's face got dead serious.

"So what does this mean for Arthur?" Daphne looked down, shoulders sagging. Sharon sighed.

"You don't have to decide now, but if you want some advice, I'll give it to you. It's from a long time ago, but I'm sure it's still just as valid as it was before." Daphne looked up, nodding. Sharon cleared her throat.

"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it is yours forever. If it doesn't, it never was." Daphne frowned.

"Are you saying I should ignore both of them? And when did you use this advice?" Sharon closed her eyes.

"No, I'm saying the one who loves you the most is the one you should choose. Don't worry about anything you do or say around them, even together. Whoever loves you the most will fight hardest for you. And I used this when my family left town; when dad left. I loved him, the town, my other friends. You were the only one who truly cared though, because you didn't even leave me when I asked you to. You're like my family, not a close friend." Daphne smiled.

"Thank you. But how will I know who's fighting the hardest?" Sharon laughed.

"I hope you'll be able to figure that out on your own. You'll see it in their eyes, if they're going to let you go if that's what you want. In any case, you're going to tell me every second you spend with either one of them!" Daphne groaned, and playfully slapped her leg.

"I don't have a choice, do I? I wonder if Kiku will come and take out your stitches tomorrow." Sharon groaned.

"He better! I am _so_ done with being bound to one place all day! If he doesn't come by noon, will you please get him?" Daphne laughed as Sharon gave her the best puppy dog eyes she had to offer for the first time since they were children and she had asked her to borrow one of her necklaces.

"Fine! You know those eyes don't work on me though, right?" Sharon laughed with Daphne.

"Well, I think they're so funny that it makes you impossible to ignore me. And thank you!" Daphne laughed.

"Well, it's time for your morning gel-" Sharon groaned.

"Can't we skip that just once? It's not like I'm going to die because of it!" Daphne laughed, shaking her head and getting out the small bottle and putting it on Sharon. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"Remind me to punch Kiku before…" She fell asleep before she could finish her sentence. Daphne chuckled quietly, putting the gel away and getting up to rinse it off her hands.

In the kitchen, Lily and Mrs. Jones were madly making cake batter, which you had to stir at a consistent pace for one hour, along with making breakfast and cleaning up. Daphne shook her head.

"I suppose telling you that this isn't necessary won't do anything to change your minds?" They shook their heads, a five year old and her mom as focused as they could be. Daphne rinsed off her hands, helping them with anything they needed.

At around two o clock, there was a knock at the door. Mrs. Jones stopped what she was doing and answered. Daphne heard her talking from behind her.

"Oh! It's so nice of you to check up on Sharon, I wasn't expecting it!...Oh, yes of course we've been putting on the gel every morning and night. Please, come in!" In the corner of her eye, Daphne saw Mrs. Jones leading Kiku to where Sharon was. Smiling, Daphne followed them-she couldn't miss Sharon's reaction.

When they got into the room, a cross between surprise, annoyance, happiness, and something else Daphne couldn't describe flashed across her face.

"I really hope you're here to take out my stitches and tell me I can walk again Kiku, because if you're not I'm going to be really p-"

"Sharon! You should be thankful Kiku came all the way here to check on you! Now if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!" For a second, Daphne thought she saw Kiku smile. Sharon sulked, crossing her arms again.

"Fine." Lily actually laughed.

"You're so mean Sha-Sha! He's going to help! And then we can play like we used to!" Sharon sighed, but couldn't help smiling for a second. Kiku walked over to Sharon.

"You've healed amazingly fast since you've been able to stay still. I think I can take the stitches out today." Wordlessly, Mrs. Jones and Daphne grabbed each of Lily's hands and led her out of the room.

Kiku helped Sharon sit up, carefully taking the stiches out. She ended up just gritting her teeth, refusing to hold on to Kiku like last time.

"Even though you can walk now, you shouldn't walk very often. And no physical exertion, alright?" Sharon sighed, nodding as Kiku got the last stitch out. He reached over and grabbed the bottle of gel.

"Hey! Can't we be done with that already? It's really starting to get annoying. Please?" Kiku sighed, shaking his head.

"Until the wound is healed completely, I need to keep out infection." She sighed, closing her eyes as he rubbed it on.

"I'm…so gonna…get you…" She fell asleep, and Kiku gently set her back down on her bed. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Is she gonna be able to walk again Mr. Kiku?" Lily asked, almost bouncing up and down. He chuckled.

"For a while, but she'll need to rest often. And she's still not allowed to run or pick heavy things up, okay?" Mrs. Jones, Daphne, and Lily nodded at the same time. Kiku smiled and excused himself.

"Mrs. Jones, may I please go and visit with Ludwig and Arthur?" Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes.

"You know you're allowed to go anywhere as long as it's not dangerous. Go visit them!" Daphne laughed, walking out of the house and over where Ludwig and Arthur were.

To her surprise, when she made it to the captain's quarters, she saw a man with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. He looked at Arthur.

"You didn't tell me you had such a beautiful woman coming to see you today." He turned to wink at Daphne, and she rolled her eyes.

"She's not here to see you Francis. Now get out!" The man rolled his eyes, stopping to smile at Daphne before he left. Daphne laughed.

"I'm assuming that was your brother?" Arthur sighed.

"I can't fathom how we're related, but yes." Daphne chuckled, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Arthur, the captain of the other ship came today. He was going to kill me, but Ludwig killed him first. Did he tell you anything about that?" Arthur's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"I'm surprised he was able to find you so quickly. But everyone's okay, right?" Daphne nodded.

"Good." Arthur sighed. "I'm not sure what I'd do if something happened to you." Arthur said without thinking. Both of them blushed. There was a knock on the door, and The man stepped in.

"Well, well, well! What have we here? Is love in the air?" Daphne blushed even more, looking down, Arthur did too, but he started yelling at him.

"Get out! Why are you here Francis?" Francis rolled his eyes.

"I'm simply here to tell you that I'm going to leave tomorrow."

"Leave _now_!" Francis laughed, and blew a kiss to Daphne before he left. Arthur groaned.

"I'm sorry about my brother. Honestly! I don't know what goes on in his mind." Daphne laughed.

"Me either. So, what are you going to do next?" Arthur sighed.

"I'm not sure yet. I might go back home for a while, it's not far from here. What are you going to do?" His eyes were more intense than the question he asked. Daphne bit her lip, still swaying on her choice.

"I'm not sure. I'll probably stay with Sharon for a while at least. I'm going to go and make sure she's not chasing Lily around. I'll see you later!" With that, she turned around and walked back to Mrs. Jones' house.

Arthur sighed, deciding to take a break and walked out into the woods. After he had been walking for some time, he heard someone behind him. He got his gun ready.

Ludwig stepped out of the shadows. Arthur sighed, lowering his gun.

"What are you doing here?" Ludwig asked, narrowing his eyes. Arthur glared.

"I'm taking a walk. And you?" Ludwig stared at him for a minute before answering.

"I'm going to visit Daphne." Arthur's hands balled into fists.

"Ludwig, I saved her from the ship. I took a bullet for her. I met her first." Arthur took a step toward Ludwig, his hands still balled into fist. Ludwig's did too.

Before anything could get serious, there was another rustle and a very surprised Sharon came into view, holding a basket half full of berries. She rolled her eyes as Ludwig and Arthur took a step away from each other.

"Shouldn't you still be bed bound?" Arthur asked, crossing his arms. Sharon smiled cheerfully.

"Kinda! But they should've known when they let me out of the house…" She shook her head. Ludwig sighed. Sharon's face became serious.

"I'm going to tell you guys my motto, okay? And the meaning isn't how it seems." She cleared her throat. "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it is your forever. If it doesn't, it never was." Ludwig and Arthur looked down, trying to understand why Sharon was helping them. She sighed.

"Whichever of you love her the most, Daphne and I will be able to see it. And remember, if one of you kills or hurts the other, she won't forgive you." Sharon started walking back towards the house, letting the news sink in. She stopped to grab more berries, and eventually made it the house after resting five more time. She braced herself for the wrath of Daphne and her mom.

"How far out did you go? You know you're not supposed to walk for an extended period of time!" Daphne looked just as mad as Mrs. Jones.

"Sorry I was gone so long, I had to rest every couple of minutes. But I brought enough berries for everyone though!" Lily charged into the room, laughing. Mrs. Jones and Daphne smiled.

After they ate dinner and celebrated with berries and cake, Mrs. Jones made Lily and Sharon-on account of walking so much-go to bed. Daphne sighed.

"There's something she's not telling me, Mrs. Jones. Do you think I should ask?" Mrs. Jones shrugged.

"She usually has good reason to hide thing from us, if she resists once, drop it." Daphne nodded, making sure that all of the dishes were put away. When that was done, she walked into the bedroom. Lily looked at her face and frowned, walking out of the room. Daphne shut the door behind her.

"What happened Sharon?" She sighed, biting her lip. Daphne waited.

"I just saw Arthur and Ludwig. I told them my motto. Don't worry, I also told them the meaning behind it. Which reminds me." Daphne frowned, not liking the determined look on Sharon's face.

"Pretend you have no feeling for what other people care about. Pretend you would be able to kill someone and not think twice about their family or friends of they were putting someone you loved in danger. In other words, pretend you're me for a second." Daphne frowned.

"But you do care about other people, and you wouldn't mention that last part if you hadn't thought about the pirate's family. But I'll do what you asked. Now what?" Sharon sighed, but continued to talk.

"Remember, you don't have pity or sorrow or worry about someone's feeling, whether they're going to be hurt by you or not. Now think about Ludwig. And now think about Arthur. Who can you spend more of your time with? Who do you want to be with right now? Do they have more good or bad qualities? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with either of them? Or do you think there could be someone else out there? Don't tell me, but think about it. And I'm always here if you need me okay?" Daphne nodded, eyes wide.

"Thanks Sharon. I…I don't want to have to pick though! One of them will be so hurt…" Sharon sighed, eyes softening.

"I know. But make sure you still end up being happy with your choice. Make sure that you still love whoever you choose the most. Remember what happened with mom, okay?" Daphne nodded, giving Sharon a hug.

The night was stormy, all except for a ray of light that came from somewhere in the middle of the clouds. Daphne raced toward it, wanting peace instead of the roar of the wind and rain.

Before she could reach it, the clouds formed a barrier letting just enough light escape for her to know it was there. They formed a sentence.

_Who will you choose?_ Daphne's mouth dropped open. Slowly, she nodded.

"I think I do know." The clouds left, leaving a peaceful, light feeling.


	4. Chapter 4

_(Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or anything else. Can we get to the story now?)_ Yeah, disclaimers get annoying sometimes, but they're necessary. Guess who I'm dedicating this to! That's right! Yukinataangel! For the fourth time, cuz she puts up with my unedited versoin! Make sure to say thanks by reading her stories! And warning: This is the last chapter. But it's longer than the others, so that might make up for that fact…

"How am I going to tell him? Because he definitely deserves for me to tell him in person. And what will I say? You have to help me!" Daphne grabbed Sharon's shoulders, and Sharon sighed.

"I actually, believe it or not, have no way to help you this time. I haven't had any guy like me, much less two…" Daphne sighed; glad she could change the subject for a moment.

"They're just freaked out because you can throw knives and hunt and protect yourself. Someone had to take care of your family!" Sharon nodded.

"But that doesn't change the fact I'll probably be your only unmarried friend. But whatever. I think you shouldn't beat around the bush. Telling news like that is like trying to get cloth that's been used too long and is mixed in with skin off. You don't pull it out slowly, drawing out the pain. You rip it right off. That's all I have to say."

"But I can't break his heart! I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life…"

"If you've chosen correctly, you won't. He'll move on soon enough. If I know one thing, it's that men don't linger. He'll find another woman before you know it. And if you've chosen right, then you'll be happy. Think about seeing him with another- that's how you'll know." Daphne nodded.

"I've made the right decision. I just need to carry it out…" She bit her lip. Carefully, Sharon got out of bed.

"I'll walk you there, but it has to be just you and him during the news, alright?" Daphne nodded. Then she smiled, trying to get the subject off her.

"Maybe you can beat up Kiku!" Sharon rolled her eyes and took Daphne's hand.

"Come on then. You might as well get this over with." Daphne sighed, but they went into the main room to explain to Mrs. Jones.

"Oh my. Well, good luck my dear. You've made the right choice." Daphne nodded; and she and Sharon walked out the door. Daphne sighed, grabbing Sharon's hand and pulling it over her shoulder. Sharon sighed, gratefully leaning on her.

After a lot of breaks, they finally made it to the ship. Before anyone else, Kiku jogged over to them.

"You shouldn't be walking this far! You're still not completely healed! Have you rested?" Sharon and Daphne nodded.

"A lot of times actually. But I'm sorry I didn't do what you asked me to. But I'm not the kind of person that can lie in bed all day." Kiku sighed, not expecting an apology. Carefully, Daphne let go of Sharon. She walked over to Kiku, and put her arm around his shoulder. Slowly, he led her to a place she could sit down. Daphne took a deep breath saw Ludwig coming towards her. She gave him a sad smile.

"Hi Ludwig." She remembered what Sharon had said. "I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight." His eyes brightened, and he smiled at her.

"I'm not. Is there anything you'd like to do in particular?" She nodded, smiling back.

"There's a place on the beach that has a bunch of small tide pools, and I was thinking that maybe you'd like to see it." Ludwig nodded.

"How about you show me it at around six. Is that a good time?" Daphne nodded, grinning.

"I'll see you then!" She walked to the ship, a feeling of dread setting in. She walked into the captain's quarters, wishing Sharon could be there with her. Arthur looked up at her and smiled. She gulped.

"Hello Daphne. How are you today?" _Don't beat around the bush._ "Arthur, I think you're a really amazing man, and I'm sure that you'll find a woman who's perfect for you. She's just not me." Arthur looked down, crushed.

"Is it really me? Or is it Ludwig?" Daphne sighed.

"You're not right for me Arthur. I'm sorry I toyed with you for so long." She walked out of the ship, looking for Sharon. She sighed, spotting her sitting down on the tree trunk. Sharon got up, Kiku seemed to sigh, but he followed her. Sharon gave Daphne a hug.

"How'd it go?" Daphne shook her head.

"As bad as I thought it would. Ugh! I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk to him again!" Sharon sighed, stroking her hair. "But… I'm sure I made the right choice though. Which reminds me. Guess who's going to show Ludwig the tide pools at six?" Sharon gasped, squeezing Daphne.

"I'm so happy for you!" Daphne laughed. Sharon took a step back. Kiku's hands twitched towards Sharon, making sure she wouldn't fall over. Sharon rolled her eyes.

"If I haven't tripped by now Kiku, I'm probably not going to." He sighed.

"You shouldn't be walking so much. Or standing so long. Please, you're still not fully healed." Daphne giggled; and Sharon sighed.

"I told you, I get fidgety if I stay still for too long. But since you're freaking out about it, I'll sit down, okay?" Kiku nodded, helping her over to the tree trunk. Daphne giggled again. Once Sharon sat down, she sighed. And they began walking back to Mrs. Jones' house.

"Kiku, I'm never going to get home if we keep going this pace." Daphne smirked.

"He could always carry you!" Sharon glared at Daphne, barely able to hold back a blush. On seeing that, Kiku looked away, hiding a blush of his own.

"I'll walk slowly, but he is _not_ carrying me again." Daphne laughed.

"Can you manage on your own? Or should I help you two home?" Daphne giggled again, a devious look in her eye.

"It was pretty hard on the way, I'm pretty sure my arm lost circulation about half way here. Can you help out with Sharon again?" Kiku nodded, and Sharon stared at Daphne, mouth open. Daphne seemed to be more ambitious lately. Kiku gently pulled Sharon's arm over his shoulder, and he put his around her waist again. They began walking back to Sharon's house, Daphne stifling giggles the entire time. At one point, Sharon got tired of the rate they were going.

"Can't we go any faster? It's not like I'll suddenly start bleeding again." Kiku shook his head.

"It's a very high possibility that will happen if we go faster than this." Daphne couldn't help it, she laughed. She knew what was going to happen next.

"If you're so tired of being slow Sharon, how about you let Kiku carry you?" Resigned, she nodded. They stopped again, and Kiku picked Sharon up. He and Daphne walked faster. Soon, they were in view of the house. Kiku gently set Sharon down, and she nodded to him, cheeks slightly pink. Daphne, barely holding back a wave of laughter, thanked Kiku and walked inside the house with Sharon. As soon as the door was closed, she burst.

"You should've seen your face! Oh my gosh, I will never forget it! And Kiku too! You guys are so good together if you'd stop resisting him!" Sharon blushed fully now as Lily and her mom joined in.

"He likes you? That's wonderful honey! Do you like him?" Sharon gasped.

"Mom!" Lily laughed, chanting something she had learned when she had gone to school instead of being taught by her mother.

"Sharon and Kiku, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Sharon blushed furiously, and eventually, Mrs. Jones calmed everyone down enough for Daphne to share her news.

At which point, Sharon and Lily began the chat all over again. Soon, they were all laughing and dancing. Well, Sharon was exempt from the dancing.

After they ate lunch, Sharon surprisingly went into the bedroom and closed the door, insisting that she be left alone for a while.

Daphne frowned, wondering what she was up to.

"I wonder what she's doing…" Mrs. Jones laughed, winking at Daphne.

"It probably has something to do with you and Ludwig!" Daphne blushed, playfully slapping Mrs. Jones' arm. Daphne sighed, giggling.

Before dinner, Sharon came out, holding a beautiful blue dress in her hands. Daphne gasped.

"I can't believe you fixed it! I'm not going to take your favorite dress!" Daphne got up, rubbing her hands over the silk. Sharon rolled her eye, pushing it into Daphne's hands.

"The only time I wore it, it ripped. And, honestly, you look better in it than I do. Besides, when do I wear dresses out here? To the forest ball? Just take it Daphne." Daphne smiled, throwing her arms around Sharon. Sharon laughed, hugging her back.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I promise to take good care of it!" Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, I don't wear dresses. But if you end up tearing it again, let me stitch it up. Silk is hard to fix." Daphne nodded, going to show Mrs. Jones what Sharon had done for her.

"Well, that was very nice of her. And I bet Ludwig will like it too!" Daphne blushed, but nodded.

"I wish I could pay her back…" Mrs. Jones got a twinkle in her eye.

"She's too stubborn to know that she likes Kiku. And I'm betting he's too shy to say anything. But maybe you can help with that." Daphne grinned.

"_That_ idea, Mrs. Jones, is one of the better ones I've heard in my life!" They giggled, Mrs. Jones feeling like a young woman again.

After they ate dinner, everyone wished Daphne good luck at the door, giggling and chanting. Sharon walked to the bedroom, and came back with a gold locket and Daphne's bracelet. Her eyes widened.

"When did you get this?" Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Just make sure to bring it back, okay? I don't want to lose it." Daphne nodded, and Sharon helped her put on the necklace and bracelet. Daphne grinned, hugging them before walking a few steps into the trees. She saw Ludwig coming, and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"You look really nice." Daphne blushed, but thanked him. Taking his hand, she began leading him to the tide pools.

Even though they didn't speak much, Daphne and Ludwig were happy. It was a companionable silence that gave them enough time to clear their heads. They stepped out of the trees, and were greeted with the sight of the ocean, and numerous small tide pools that were filled with trapped aquatic creatures.

"Wow." Ludwig whispered, gazing at the horizon. Soon, the sun would set. They walked over to the rocks, Ludwig holding Daphne's hand so she wouldn't fall into them. At least that's what he told himself.

"How did you find this place?" Daphne smiled, watching a small silver fish swim in a circle, waiting for the ocean to return.

"Sharon and I were exploring one day, and we stumbled across here. It happened a few years ago, but we still come here on special occasions. We came here for my last birthday." Ludwig nodded, watching the same fish Daphne was.

After they had talked and laughed for a while, the sun began to set. Ludwig and Daphne sat down. Holding hands. Daphne leaned against Ludwig, smiling.

The sky was alight with different shade of pink, orange, and purple. The water reflected that, making the sight truly incomparable. Daphne knew the stars would look just as beautiful. Ludwig put his arm around Daphne, noting it was getting colder. Daphne blushed. They sat there in awed silence until the sun began to sink further down, dying the sky a light purple and dark blue. Ludwig and Daphne got up, still holding hands.

"Thank you for showing me this place. We should do this again soon." Daphne nodded, blushing again.

"You're welcome." She shivered, it had gotten colder. Seeing this, Ludwig took off his jacket and draped around Daphne's shoulders. Her blush deepened, and she looked down, smiling. Ludwig walked her home.

By the time they got there, all of the stars were out.

"Thanks for the jacket. And for coming." Daphne smiled, and started taking off the jacket to give it back to Ludwig. He shook his head.

"Keep it for now. And you're welcome." Quickly, he leaned down and kissed her, then walked into the trees, yelling a goodbye. Daphne blushed like there was no tomorrow, and she stumbled inside. While Lily was already asleep, Mrs. Jones and Sharon were ready to ambush Daphne at the door.

"How did it go? Did he kiss you again? What did he think of the place?"

"Did he complement you?" Daphne laughed, still blushing.

"When he saw me, he said I looked very nice. He thought the view was amazing, and he kissed me just now before he left!" The three of them squealed quietly, grabbing each other's hands.

Finally, they all calmed down and got ready for the night. After Mrs. Jones had gone to bed, Daphne noticed Sharon looking worried.

"What's wrong?" Sharon laughed sadly.

"You know me so well Daphne. I'm just worried about how everything will turn out. Mom will expect to me to marry around the same time you do, and that won't happen. I know I shouldn't worry about it, but I do." Daphne sighed, walking over to sit next to Sharon.

"Just tell her what you think. I'm sure she'll understand." Sharon nodded, looking slightly better. They walked into the bedroom, silently sliding under the covers and falling asleep.

In the morning, Daphne was surprised that she hadn't dreamed. But she felt at peace, and she found herself whistling through her chores. Mrs. Jones smiled.

"I'm glad you're so happy today this morning Daphne! I'm assuming it's a result of last night's events?" Daphne blushed, laughing.

"Probably. Um… I was wondering if I might be able to stay here a while longer? I'm sure my father won't mind. You know how he is. He said I was a mistake…" Mrs. Jones' eyes flared with anger.

"Don't listen to a word your father says. And you can live here if you'd like. My house is closer to Ludwig's anyway." Daphne's eyes brightened.

"Really? Thank you so much Mrs. Jones!" She threw her arms around her, and Mrs. Jones laughed, patting her back.

"You're welcome. It's good for Sharon to have another girl her age to talk to anyway. And you helping out with the chores is amazing too. But I love your company my dear, and you'll always have a place to go." Daphne nodded, thanking her again and going back to her chores. Sharon came in from the bedroom, where she had made all the beds.

"I'm going to get some fruit, okay?" Mrs. Jones nodded and sighed.

"Try to rest often, okay?" Sharon rolled her eyes.

"I'll be fine mom. But I'll rest, okay?" Sharon walked out the door, closing it behind her. She walked out into the forest, picking berries and pulling fruit that she could reach from trees. She huffed, sitting down on the ground and leaning against a tree, thinking about the dream she had the night before.

She grabbed her wound, it had gotten much better, but walking always made it hurt. She groaned, forcing herself to get up. After a few more minutes of continuous walking, she was sweating from the pain. She sat down again, wondering when she would be able to walk without any effort again. She heard the bushes rustle, and she grabbed her knife, ready to throw. She got up again, knowing it was better to face someone that way.

Kiku stepped into view, and Sharon put her knife back. His eyes widened.

"Why do you push yourself like this? There's no need to! You need to rest right now."

"I don't like feeling useless. And really, I'd rather be in pain than in bed." Kiku sighed, still angry.

"I'm going to carry you home. You shouldn't be walking in this condition. I'm guessing you've been skipping breaks?" She nodded, and allowed Kiku to pick her up. She was so tired; she rested her head on his shoulder, telling herself she'd go back into her normal position when they were insight of the house. He sighed; glad she wasn't resisting him for once. Sharon closed her eyes.

"I wish that James had never paid Daphne and me any attention. Because if he never bothered-or tried to, at least-Daphne, then he would have never made me pay for defending her. At least it's all over now. Thanks for helping me Kiku…I really shouldn't have made myself do that." Kiku nodded.

"You're welcome. And I hope you'll rest more next time." It was silent for a while, and Kiku looked down at Sharon, noticing she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked peaceful, and he realized that she had trusted him so much that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked up sharply, quickening his pace. Soon, he was at the house. The door opened before he could knock it.

Mrs. Jones gasped, swinging the door wide enough for Kiku to step in with Sharon. Daphne gasped, running over to Mrs. Jones and Kiku. Hearing the commotion, Lily came out.

"Don't worry; she just pushed herself too long. And she was tired, so she fell asleep. It's nothing serious, and I was coming to check on her anyway. They stepped aside, Mrs. Jones and Daphne whispering comforts to Lily.

Kiku walked into the bedroom, gently setting Sharon down so she wouldn't wake up. Since she was already asleep, he rubbed the gel on her wound, noticing that it was still red, but healing. He knew that was only the outside though, and that Sharon would need to rest for a day to recover from walking so much in one period of time. Sharon sighed in her sleep, a small frown on her face.

Kiku felt Sharon's forehead, making sure she didn't have a fever. He sighed, telling himself that he only checked on her so often because she was his patient. Right. In any case, him coming to check on her had helped her tremendously that day. Daphne peeked her head through the door, and walked in quietly.

"How is she?" Kiku shook his head.

"She's fine, but she needs to rest tomorrow. She can get up a few times, but it would be best if she stayed in one place for the day." Daphne nodded, taking Sharon's hand.

"She's having a nightmare. Whenever she looks like that, she is. But we can't do anything about it now, can we?" Kiku shook his head.

"In a few minutes we can wake her up." Kiku looked back at Sharon, noticing she was still frowning. He sighed, knowing he should probably leave. Daphne looked at him.

"Why don't you stay until she wakes up? She'd kill me if she knew I told you this, but I think she'd be relieved that you stayed. You know, until she found out you let her fall asleep in your arms." Daphne giggled, and Kiku looked down quickly, realizing that he was blushing. Daphne held back a real laugh.

"Anyway, if you haven't already eaten breakfast, we're eating in the dining room. If you have though, you can do whatever." Kiku nodded, thanking her. Muffling giggles, Daphne walked back into the main room and started eating with Mrs. Jones and Lily.

After a few minutes, Kiku gently shook Sharon's shoulder. She woke up, gasping. When she saw Kiku, she relaxed.

"I guess I fell asleep. Thanks for bringing me back home. The dreams are getting better at least." Kiku frowned.

"Better? You woke up gasping. Do you mind telling me what your dream was about?" Sharon shook her head.

"It was just the captain of the other ship again. I know he's dead, but I can't help feeling that his crew is going to try and get revenge. In the dream, I saw them coming to the house. But that's better than watching them kill everyone I care about." Kiku looked away, not wanting Sharon to see how angry he was. Sharon sighed.

"Yeah, I thought you might think that. But don't do anything stupid, okay? If you get killed, who's going to tell me when I'm allowed to actually do things?" Sharon laughed quietly, and Kiku realized that below the anger she directed towards him, she cared. He was glad Sharon couldn't see his face. He decided to change the subject.

"Your family's eating breakfast; do you want me to bring you some?" She groaned.

"Come on doc! I've rested now, can't I move?" Kiku chuckled. Sharon blinked, realizing that he hadn't before.

"No, you almost fainted. Do you want some food?" Sharon sighed, but nodded. Kiku got up, getting a plate for Sharon. While he was there, only Mrs. Jones' look stopped Lily from chanting the song. Daphne managed to keep a straight face, but couldn't wait for a chance to talk to Sharon alone.

Kiku walked back into the room, and set the plate down next to the bed. Sharon rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with him about helping her sit up. Kiku set the plate on Sharon's lap, and she began eating.

"I should probably be on my way. Make sure you rest, alright?" Sharon sighed.

"I guess I deserve to be bed bound for a day. I won't push myself for a while, okay?" Kiku chuckled again, deciding that was the best promise he was going to get out of her. "Goodbye Kiku. Try not to let Ludwig and Arthur bother you too much." He frowned, looking at Sharon. She rolled her eyes.

"You know they're going to tease you about this. Try not to let them get to you." He nodded, walking out the door before she could see him blush. Sharon rolled her eyes again, but laughed a little bit. She finished eating her food, and was prepared for the onslaught when Daphne walked through the doors.

"Oh my gosh! That was the cutest face I've ever seen on him! You made him _blush_! What did you say?" Sharon laughed.

"I just reminded him to ignore Arthur and Ludwig." Daphne laughed, leaning against the wall. Daphne smiled, deciding to get straight to the point.

"Just admit it already! My gosh Sharon, Kiku's right, you're the most stubborn person I know! You like him, he likes you. Do something about it! If you wait too long, you could lose him." Sharon stared at Daphne open mouthed.

"…Daphne…" For once, Sharon's face was the one that was bright red. "Well, I'm not even allowed to walk right now so…Besides, when are you going to see Ludwig again? I'm sure you want to visit him again." While Sharon's face turned back to its normal color, Daphne's turned pink.

"Yeah, I do want to see him again." Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Then go! Why are you just standing there? You have a guy to go see. Go!" Daphne laughed, giving Sharon a hug and taking away her empty plate. She walked into the kitchen, and told Mrs. Jones she was going to visit Ludwig.

"I'm so glad things are working out for you dear. Make sure to come home before it gets dark, alright? I have a feeling today isn't exactly safe. I think I saw someone besides Sharon and Kiku in the woods today." Daphne frowned, nodding and walking out of the door.

She sighed in relief when she got to where Ludwig was staying. She knocked the door. Ludwig answered, smiling when he saw her.

"Hello Daphne. I was just going to come and see you." Daphne smiled, blushing a little bit. Ludwig laughed, and stepped outside. They talked for a while, and Daphne showed him where all of the good fruit grew, and where the best place was to find game.

At one point, it started raining. Laughing, Ludwig used his jacket to cover both him and Daphne as they ran back into the house. Daphne was out of breath, and Ludwig helped her inside. They were both laughing.

After they had dried off, they sat and ate lunch at the table. Soon, Daphne got a mischievous smile.

"Have you seen Kiku lately?" Ludwig shook his head.

"Well, today Sharon went out to collect fruit, and she pushed herself too hard, as usual. He carried her home and she fell asleep in his arms! I'm sorry I'm so excited; it's just the first time Sharon's shown any interest in anything besides her family and me." Ludwig nodded, smiling.

"It's good to hear that. Not everyone has two men chasing after them." Ludwig winked at Daphne, who blushed and looked down. But didn't contradict it.

"No, not everyone does. I have a question. Have you seen anyone you haven't before? Mrs. Jones said she saw someone suspicious walking around in the woods." Ludwig frowned, shaking his head.

"But I'll go looking for him today. Don't worry, I'll bring Kiku." Daphne nodded, not sure if she could convince him not to go. Suddenly, it started raining. Laughing, Ludwig used his jacket to cover both of them, and they ran inside. Inside, Daphne sighed.

"Make sure you bring a gun, okay? I don't want you getting hurt." He nodded, taking Daphne's hand.

"I promise I'll be safe. How about I walk you home when the rain stops. He might be taking shelter now, and that would be the best time to find him." Daphne nodded. She looked out the window; the rain would stop soon. Daphne sighed, looking into Ludwig's eyes.

"If things get too dangerous, I want you to run. Please." Ludwig smiled, kissing Daphne on her cheek.

"I'll be fine. I've been in much more danger than this before. You could say this will be easy." Daphne smiled, not quite believing him. After about half an hour, the pounding of the rain stopped, and Ludwig led Daphne back home. Before he left again, he kissed her on her lips. She blushed fiercely, and went inside.

"That was so adorable! You're still blushing!" Sharon greeted Daphne at the door, giving her a hug.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Daphne grumbled, hugging her back. Daphne looked around, noticing that she and Sharon were the only ones there.

"Where are your mom and Lily?" Sharon sighed.

"They went back to town for the day to get some fabric. Lily's starting to outgrow her clothes. So what happened? You look kinda nervous." Daphne sighed.

"You know how you have a bad feeling about today? Your mom saw a man walking in the forest that she'd never seen before. Ludwig and Kiku are going to look and see if he was with the other ship." Sharon gaped at Daphne.

"Those dumb-asses! They're going to get themselves killed if it's James! He cheats, and he's good with guns and swords anyhow! We have to go get them!" Daphne shook her head.

"Calm down! It probably isn't-" There was a crash near the bed room, and Sharon grabbed her knives. They walked into the bedroom, Daphne behind Sharon.

Getting up was a dirty man with scrapes from the fall, a gun in hand. He smiled crookedly at Daphne and Sharon.

"It's good to see you two are still alive. I barely escaped from the ship, but I did. I thought I'd come and visit you two. Also, to get what I wanted in the first place, Daphne." Daphne paled, and Sharon stepped in front of her, glaring at him.

"James. If you try and do anything with Daphne, I will kill you." He laughed.

"But you see, a gun's faster than a knife. And I don't want to kill you right away. You see, if you don't come stand next to me and get on your knees Sharon, I'll blow Daphne's brain out."

"No. Please Sharon, I don't care!" Sharon ignored her, walking over to James and doing what he said. Daphne started to walk towards them.

"Same goes for you Daphne, I will gladly kill Sharon. But I have other plans for both of you first." Always safe, James put the gun to Sharon's head. He took out a knife.

"Don't!" Daphne screamed, dropping to her knees. "I'll give you what you want! Just don't hurt her!" James laughed.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Sharon glared at him.

"You dickhead! You're so desperate that you have to use a gun to get a girl? That's-" He kicked her so hard that she flew across the room. She gasped, trying to breathe.

"Sharon!" Daphne starts to run to her, but James shot a bullet in front of her.

"Didn't I say not to move?" Sharon grabbed her stomach; glad he hadn't kicked her wound. Daphne started crying, knowing they wouldn't be able to get out of this.

"Now Daphne, you wouldn't want that to happen to you, do you? Be a good lady and come here." Before Daphne could take a step towards James, Ludwig came through the door, holding a gun. Kiku came in through the window, holding a katana.

Not wasting any time, Ludwig pulled Daphne behind him and shot the gun out of James' hand. He screamed.

"Sharon!" Kiku ran over to her. She kneeled over, vomiting. He turned to James, fire in his eyes. Daphne ran over to Sharon, Ludwig in front of her the entire time.

"What did you do to them?" Kiku and Ludwig yelled at the same time. James gulped, holding his injured hand.

"I didn't do anything." Kiku ran over to him, putting his katana to his throat.

"Don't lie to me you stupid bastard! Sharon is throwing up! So I ask again, _what did you do?_" James gulped, and Ludwig and Kiku pulled him out of the room, out of the house. Daphne grabbed Sharon's hand.

"How bad are you hurt? Did he hit any organs?" Sharon laughed huskily.

"If…he didn't kick…my stomach…would I be throwing up?" Daphne shook her head, going and bringing water and cleaning supplies. Sharon sipped on the water, listening to Ludwig and Kiku make James pay for what he did.

"I'm sorry I…couldn't…" A tear rolled down Sharon's cheek. "I should have killed him. You shouldn't have been in danger. I wish you didn't have to see me like this. I shouldn't have said anything!" Daphne hugged Sharon, shushing her.

"You couldn't have done anything different. Besides, everything's fine now." Daphne cleaned up the mess and put the supplies away. Sharon stood up as Daphne came back in. Silently, they hugged each other.

"This never happened; it would only scare Mom and Lily." Daphne nodded in agreement. Sharon and Daphne walked out of the room, and looked out of the front window to see if Ludwig and Kiku were done. They were.

Daphne and Sharon walked outside, and Daphne ran into Ludwig's arms. He gently stroked her hair, and murmured that it was over.

What was surprising though, was that Sharon walked over and threw her arms around Kiku, sobbing quietly. He wrapped his arms around her, silently holding her there.

"Thank you. Both of you. I probably would have been killed, and Daphne…" Daphne nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." She whispered; Ludwig sighed.

"You're welcome. It was so close…" Kiku didn't say anything, he just comforted Sharon. They went inside, gradually talking about other things. By the time dinner had past, they were all relaxed.

"I didn't think you'd go from giving him the silent treatment to falling asleep in his arms." Ludwig teased; Sharon rolled her eyes, refusing to reply to the comment. Daphne had just finished telling him the entire story in front of Kiku and Sharon.

Kiku looked out the window, not in control of his facial expressions. Daphne and Ludwig bit back a laugh.

"Guys, don't even get me _started _on you two! I could talk about the first time you kissed, the second time, or all of the times you two have made each other blush…Yep, there they are again!" Sharon said cheerfully. Kiku turned around to see, and he forced back a chuckle as he saw Daphne and _Ludwig_ blushing.

Sharon being Sharon though, laughed out loud.

"See, you two are so cute together! And seeing a tough guy blush is priceless." Kiku hid his laugh with a cough. Ludwig looked down, going from pink to red. Seeing this, Daphne laughed shakily, trying to think of a way to change the subject. She decided just to ask.

"Let's change the subject, okay? Enough having fun at our expense." Ludwig nodded in agreement.

"That's fine with me! Just know that I have way more on you two than you have on me, okay?" Ludwig sighed.

"How are you two friends?" He muttered. Daphne laughed.

"We're friends because, even though there are moments like these, we're like sisters." Ludwig nodded, not quite understanding.

After a while, they knew it was time for Ludwig and Kiku to leave, but none of them wanted to be left alone. Too much had happened that day. Daphne sighed.

"Sharon, do you think your mom would care if they stayed…?" Sharon nodded.

"Going out to see them and coming home late is one thing, having them overnight is an entire different thing. Not that we'd do anything." Sharon rolled her eyes. "Should I tell them to go?" Daphne nodded, and followed her into the main room.

"Alright guys, let's hope no other pirate comes to kill us and call it a night." Ludwig rolled his eyes, but hugged Daphne and said goodbye. Sharon walked over to Kiku and gave him a hug.

"This doesn't mean I still approve of that stupid gel." Kiku chuckled, and he and Ludwig walked out the door. Daphne sighed.

"We're having nightmares tonight." Sharon nodded.

"But hey, let's think positive. We're safe, we- I mean you- have a great guy, and in the morning, I'm making pancakes!" Daphne laughed, going to bed. Unlike their prediction, they both had sweet dreams.

In the morning, Daphne wasn't surprised to see Mrs. Jones and Lily walking in. She yawned, reaching her arm across to Sharon's bed to wake her up. She groaned, but opened her eyes.

"Oh. Thanks Daphne. If they ask, you know what to do." Daphne nodded, they had gone over their story before they had fallen asleep.

"Good morning you two! I brought cinnamon rolls! Come and eat them while they're hot." Gratefully Daphne and Sharon got up and ate their food, acting completely normal. Sharon and Daphne even played with Lily.

"So, I assume you girls are going to visit Ludwig and Kiku." Sharon rolled her eyes.

"Yes Mom, may we please go?" Mrs. Jones laughed, and nodded.

"Get home before it gets dark, alright?" They nodded, and Daphne followed her out the door.

"Well. Maybe I'm too good a lair if I can fool my own mother." Sharon sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"It's for the best; we don't need them to get upset about something that already happened." Sharon rolled her eyes.

"True, but I have a huge bruise from James. Who knew his last mark on the world would be on me." Daphne sighed, stopping Sharon and giving her a hug. They walked to where Ludwig was staying, resting as much as Sharon would allow on the way there. By the time they got to Ludwig's house, Sharon was tired, but not panting or sweating.

Daphne knocked, and Ludwig answered again, smiling at her.

"I'm glad to see you two are safe." He said two, but he only looked at Daphne. It took all of Sharon's self-control not to laugh. Ludwig let them in, telling them that Kiku would be here shortly.

"Thank you for letting us come here for a while. I'm not sure if we could've kept what happened from Mrs. Jones for an entire day." Ludwig nodded, hugging Daphne.

They sat down at the dining room table, talking. Everyone was relaxed, even though Sharon would tease them every once in a while. Soon, Kiku came.

He came in and sat next to Sharon, and fussed over her injuries.

"Kiku, I'm fine! Can you stop being a doctor for a day?" He shook his head. Daphne and Ludwig laughed.

"You need to do something for that bruise." His eyes darkened. "And I'm glad to see that your major injury is healing up nicely." Sharon rolled her eyes. Ludwig cleared his throat. He sighed.

"Arthur's boat is leaving this Friday; Kiku and I just found out before you two got here." For the first time since he's seen them, both Daphne and Sharon went completely pale. Kiku sighed. Sharon looked down, biting her lip. Daphne looked at Sharon, her hands balling into fists, not letting herself cry.

"I'm guessing that you're going with him?" Daphne looked down, knowing that if she looked at Ludwig, she's cry. Sharon stayed silent for once, not saying anything.

"He wants me to, and I promised my brother I would…" Daphne took a deep breath.

"When would you come back?" Ludwig sighed.

"I don't know. Voyages usually take a year, and we had just set off when we found you two…" Roughly, Sharon got up from the table, grabbing Daphne's hands and leading her out, her eyes unreadable. Ludwig and Kiku stared at the door, sighing. Ludwig's hand twitched, not sure if he should follow them.

"That's why I try not to get close to people Daphne! My dad left, and I loved him more than anyone else at the time. And now Ludwig and Kiku are leaving? This is why I live out here! Anyone who ever gets close to me ends up hurting me!" Daphne hugged her, letting her tears flow freely.

"I haven't. You mom and Lily haven't. But I understand." Sharon hugged Daphne back, her hands balling up into fists. Daphne was sobbing now, and Sharon helped her into the cover of the trees. In the darkness they provided, she started to let tears slip down her face.

"I'm not going to see Kiku anymore. I'll come if you want me to visit Ludwig with you, but that's all." Sharon had blocked out her father too, Daphne remembered. She had destroyed anything he had ever given her.

"I'm still going to see Ludwig, and I think you need to spend as much time as you can with Kiku. It doesn't help to just cut off a relationship. They'll come back." Even then, Daphne was still crying. Sharon and Daphne sat down on the ground.

"Daphne, Kiku and I don't have a relationship!" Sharon stood up, punching a tree.

"Then why are you so upset about him leaving Sharon?" They were yelling now, tears streaming down both of their faces. Sharon's hands shook, and she sat back down. There was silence for a while.

"You're right. But I can't do it. The closer I get to him, the more hurt I'll be when I leave." Daphne's eyes softened.

"That doesn't matter. You shouldn't be afraid of love because of what you saw it do to your mom." Sharon nodded, and they hugged again. Sharon sighed, and they wiped their tears away. Before they could consider going home or going back to Ludwig's, Ludwig and Kiku stepped outside.

_(Author's Note:_ I know, first author's note, last chapter. Go ahead and bite me. Anyway, I'm going to do this in Daphne's AND Sharon's P.O.V. , because this is really important scene! Daphne first!)

Ludwig and Kiku walked over to them, and Ludwig pulled Daphne aside. He sighed, wanting to hit himself for making her cry.

"Daphne, I may not go. They need me, but I'm not irreplaceable." Daphne looked up at him, giving him a small smile.

"Do what you need to do, just as long as you come back." He smiled, nodding.

"Thank you Daphne, I really needed to hear that. And even if I do leave, I'll write you." Daphne laughed, and kissed him. Before Ludwig had time to react, she stepped away, grabbing his hand and pulling him back inside the house, trying to give Sharon and Kiku time to talk it out.

Sharon watched as Kiku approached her. She looked down, remembering what Daphne said, but unable to avoid being completely open. She wasn't a 'feeling' person. Kiku sighed, not sure what to say.

"I'm guessing that you need to go. You were the only doctor, and more people will get hurt." Kiku nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"But there is someone there who knows basic medical procedures. I don't have to go." Sharon didn't trust that.

"But you must have a home somewhere else. And family. Besides, I'm starting to heal up. And if you go, then I'll be able to walk as much as I want." She was still looking down, only saying those things to try and convince herself she didn't need him. He sighed again.

"Sharon, do you want me to stay?" She looked up, surprised that he said that. He looked worried. She nodded, not sure how her voice would sound if she answered. He gave her a small smile.

"Then I'll stay. I can't leave you to pass out in the forest again anyway." She rolled her eyes, but held back a smile.

Daphne saw Sharon smile from the window. She gasped.

"Ludwig, I think Kiku's staying. Look!" He came to stand next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He chuckled.

"I guess that means that I have to stay too." Daphne gasped again, turning around to face him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her. Smiling, she kissed him back. Even though she had gone through unimaginable things on the first ship, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Because she had met Ludwig. And Sharon wouldn't be alone either. She smiled broader, wrapping her arms around Ludwig's neck and never wanting to move.


End file.
